Chocolate No Bake Cookies Recipe
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No Bake Cookies Recipe – These simple chocolate no bake cookies make a perfect sweet treat. Made with cocoa powder, peanut butter, and oats, these cookies are always a favorite.
Looking for more delicious cookie recipes? You’ll love my Chewy Sugar Cookies, Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Peanut Butter Cookies.
These classic chocolate no-bake cookies have been one of my favorite sweet treats since I was a little girl. I remember standing as close as possible to the stove when Mama would make these so that I could help in any way possible. From pouring in the oats, to carefully stirring as I got a little older. And then, when they were ready to drop onto the parchment paper, I was always eager to have that job!
BEST No Bake Cookies Recipe
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy recipe. This cookie recipe is so easy to make and perfect for beginning cooks.
- Delicious cookies. The perfect blend of chocolate and peanut butter in every bite!
- No bake easy! There is no need to heat the oven with this favorite, easy cookie recipe.
No Bake Cookie Ingredients
For these cookies, you’ll need sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, milk, butter, vanilla extract, salt, creamy peanut butter, and quick-cooking oats.
How to Make the Best No Bake Cookies Recipe
Making no-bake cookies is one of the simplest cookie recipes to make. There are just a few tricks to ensure they are perfect every time.
- Boil for 1 minute. Add your sugar and cocoa powder to a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Whisk until thoroughly mixed. Add milk and butter and cook over medium-high heat. Bring to a rolling boil and boil for 1 minute. This rolling boil and boiling for 1 minute is the key! Otherwise, your cookies will not set properly.
- Add remaining ingredients. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, salt, peanut butter, and oats.
- Spoon cookies onto parchment. Drop cookies by tablespoons onto parchment paper.
- Allow cookies to dry. Allow to dry for about 10-15 minutes until the no bake cookies have become firm.
How to Store No Bake Cookies
To store. Place cookies in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Here’s the recipe for these chocolate no bake cookies. Grab some parchment paper and make them soon!
Chocolate No Bake Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups (346.5 g) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons (15.75 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup (113.5 g) milk
- 8 tablespoons (113 g) butter, cut into large pieces
- 1 teaspoon (4.7 g) vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon (0.65 g) kosher salt
- ½ cup (135 g) peanut butter
- 3 cups (267 g) quick cooking oats
Instructions
- Add sugar and cocoa powder to a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Whisk until thoroughly mixed.
- Add milk and butter and cook over medium-high heat. Bring to a rolling boil and boil for 1 minute.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, salt, peanut butter and oats.
- Drop cookies by tablespoons onto parchment paper.
- Allow to dry for about 10-15 minutes until the no bake cookies have become firm.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
From the Add a Pinch recipe archives. Originally published 2012.
Can these be frozen?
I have never frozen these cookies, Trish. They don’t last that long at my house! But they can be frozen. Just make sure they are stored in an airtight container and freeze up to 3 months.
Can I leave out the peanut butter?
I haven’t made this without peanut butter, Libby.
I agree that there is something off about this recipe. We made these for years from an old women’s guild cookbook which unfortunately was lost in a move. I tried this recipe twice, the first time we used natural peanut butter and thought perhaps that was why they were so soft and wouldn’t set. We used regular the second time with the same result; even putting them in the fridge didn’t help. I will try another, I suspect more sugar and longer boiling time may be the keys.
I’m not sure why you are having problems with these not setting. I make these all the time and never have a problem with them setting. Make sure this comes to a full, hard, rolling boil, then start timing for one full minute. I haven’t tried these with natural peanut butter so I’m not sure if that would be an issue.
I found a version of this recipe into which I had written boil 3 full minutes. Unfortunately I just made a counter full of sludge, using a 1 minute recipe. LOL.
My recipe is similar and we’ve loved it for years. We use 2 cups sugar and 1/2 cup Cocoa though. We don’t use salt either. If you use too much peanut butter they won’t set.
For us, they are great tasting and really fun to make.
The sugar is not the problem as I cut the sugar in half & everything is fine. I suspect the wrong kind of oats are being used &/or they’re not boiled long enough.
I first learned how to make these when I was a girl scout in the ’60s, but I don’t remember them having milk in it, as we made them outdoors over a fire when camping. Good luck! 😊🙏
This is sooooooooooo good! Definitely will make again.
Thanks, Paloma. These have been one of my favorites since I was a little girl. So glad you loved them, too.
Just made these, they turned out great! Just what we wanted. This will be my go to recipe when I need a quick cookie. They set up very well, excellent chocolate/ peanut butter flavor. They were so yummy!
Cheryl, these have been a favorite cookie in my family since I was a little girl. I am so happy you loved them, too. Thanks!
I put a little cayenne pepper (just a little heat) turned out well. chocolate and heat often goes together
I added chopped walnuts and a handful of coconut! Yummm
Salted or unsalted butter?
Thank you
I use salted butter, Sarah. Enjoy!
Easy recipe to follow, They turned out great! Added 1/2 cup of dry roasted peanuts to add a bit of crunch.
Thanks, Shelley. I’ll have to try adding the peanuts sometime. That sounds great. xo
I have a problem with the cookies turning out dry rather than shiny and moist and chocolatey. Have you got a solution for that?
Hi Nancy,
I’m really not sure what happened. The only reasons I can think these would be dry are if they cooked too long, old fashioned oats were used instead of quick cooking oats, or if too much oats were added. Make sure you let the mixture come to a full rolling boil and then time it for exactly 1 minute, no longer. Hope this helps. Thanks
Can I use almond milk in the recipe instead of the milk? Before asking the question I checked the other comments. Didnt see it.
Hi Karen,
I’ve never tried these cookies with almond milk but I see no reason why it wouldn’t work. Hope you enjoy!